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How to Draw a Cartoon Monkey

It is easy to draw a monkey, and this one will steal your heart-- or your bananas! He is ready to be mischievous, just like the favorite kids in my life! Artist Don Howard has designed this cute monkey drawing lesson to be easily drawn in just a few simple steps, so don’t monkey around, sharpen your pencil and get ready to draw!

There are over 250 known species of monkey. They are all fast, flexible, medium sized animals with long tails, but their similarities really stop there. Some live on the ground, and some live only in the tree-tops. Some eat only nuts and fruit, and some eat only leaves. Most monkeys are very smart, but not as smart as the chimpanzee. Chimpanzees and apes are not monkeys, even though they look a lot like them. Don Howard’s drawing of a monkey could either be a monkey or a chimpanzee. You could add a long curly tail to your drawing, too!

Remember in Curious George when he goes to outer space in a rocket? Did you know that monkeys have actually been in orbit around Earth? The first monkey in space was Albert II who flew on June 14, 1949. Your Grandma may remember when that happened. Curious George is older than Albert, though! He was first drawn in 1941! Another famous monkey friend of yours is Donkey Kong, who was created in 1981. In this classic Nintendo video game, players had to jump and run to get past Donkey Kong, while getting to the top of the screen, to rescue fair Pauline. Is it the same on your game boy?

I think artists like to draw monkeys for the same reasons you do! They are funny! They are cute! And, there is something about them that reminds us of… us! So go ahead and draw a cute, funny monkey today. In fact, why don’t you draw two cartoon monkeys? Then, you can give one to your mom or dad with a caption that says, “I’m bananas about you!” ~ Andrea Thoenes